How to Rake a Lawn in the Spring

Raking a lawn in spring can prepare the grass for grooming. (Image: Lawn Clippings image by Towards Ithaca from Fotolia.com)

The warm spring weather signals the start of a new season for homeowners across the country: gardening season. The hum of lawn mowers and the smell of fresh fertilizer will soon permeate the air. The first step to any good spring lawn care program, however, is preparation. Even the best mowing, trimming and fertilizing cannot create a perfect lawn if the grass is not properly cleaned and prepared before the work begins. A rake is an ideal tool for this type of preparation.

Things You'll Need

Rake

Lawn bags or trash bags

Walk around your lawn and pick up large pieces of debris, such as fallen branches or sticks. Remove as much of this large debris as you can, so it does not damage the tines of your rake.

Start at one corner of your lawn and rake with a hard-tined rake, moving in one steady direction. Use the rake to gather debris from the lawn such as small twigs and fallen leaves.

Use the rake to dig under shrubs, bushes or flowers on the lawn. Dislodge all stuck leaves or twigs.

Collect all lawn debris and dispose of it in lawn bags or trash bags.

Go over the lawn once more with the rake now that all debris is gone. This will help to break up clumps of grass, allowing for better airflow and healthier growth.